I didn’t get a chance to talk at the Unity Chapel this week…and it’s not going to happen this year at all, so I’m going to talk about it with as much sincerity as I can muster and bring to life through words.
First, I want to start with unity. What is it? Unified people, things, conceptions, beliefs, religion…? Is it all abstract? Can it be defined with actions, or is it purely a fundamental truth that our minds can accept only? Well, I believe (and this is me…but maybe you have a different opinion) that unity is only brought about by love. And there are those who understand it to the point that God, who has control over all and everyone. He causes the change of heart, the understanding of the mind, and the movement of the Spirit. And this is correct. But unfortunately for the lazy among us, we, as human beings, must also do something to help out. Or rather, to build us up.
Now it’s definitely easier to worship, love, honor, and live for God while in a cave or convent, but how can we expect to grow to be stronger Christians and people if we run and hide from everything that we dislike…like unity? Or love? Or even little things we dislike, like having problems with people, or feeling uncomfortable? True, those certainly are things that can get under one’s skin…I know they get under mine. So what kind of strength can be built from these?
Hold on. Lack of comfort…not liking dealing with people’s issues…running away to avoid injury…what are THOSE? Isn’t that selfishness? Yeah…and selfishness is…self-love. LOVE?!? How’d that happen? Weren’t we talking about unity a second ago? Well, yeah, but remember how unity resulted from love? Here’s the tough part…the only reason we naturally dislike working for unity is because of selfishness…self-love. When we are selfish, we are being the opposite of what we want, which is love for OTHERS, or Unity.
So what kind of love is the love we need to achieve true unity among Christians, non-Christians, and everything else…God above all??
True love comes from a change of heart (the working of the Spirit within) where you can realize when love, even for others, results for or from the love for self. Any time you don’t do something for (or about) someone because of a fear of embarrassment, pain, or comfort, you are having more of a regard for yourself than for the other. Now go to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and try to define your actions through this mindset. Is that how you act, or are your actions defined by a different motive? Like yourself? Well, since it’s the most natural thing in the world to look out for yourself above anything else (even God), it’s a hard worldview to escape. Even a newborn will hold their self above anyone else…they’ll wake up a whole hospital just cuz they’re cold. But we’re not babies anymore…can we change our mental vision?
Okay, well after you’ve spotted this, what’s next? UN-selfish love? Yuppers. So how can we define that? 1 Cor. 13 again. Is your love self-centered? Are you still the beginning and the end? Let me give you the list.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
And when you can love…pure, true, Christ-like, honest, Love…then you can have compassion. You can disciple. You can correct. And you can have Unity.
[Edited] So now here’s the question of the hour: “WHY ON EARTH should I love people I don’t want to? Just for Unity? Well, scrap Unity! I don’t feel like it!”
(Drum roll…) Because Jesus told us too! Ta da! Look at the Gospel of John 13:34. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (35) By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” There you go! Back to verse 1: “…Having loved His own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of His love.” Again! Now to John’s letter, chapter 2, verse 5: “But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” More! 2 John 1:5-6: “…I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is Love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” WOW! It’s all over the place! God’s new command: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. It’s hard, but it’s possible. Otherwise he wouldn’t tell you, right?
Love is not the all-conquering answer to everything…but it is what should be behind ever action, every thought, and every moral decision. Can you be the love-light in this unlovely world? Can you overcome your own selfish love…your self-love…in order to love others truly?
Leave a Reply